The San Diego Padres are in Pittsburgh for a three-game series, but for Mason Miller this series is a homecoming.
The rest of the San Diego Padres may not be happy about being in Pittsburgh given the cold, but for Padres closer Mason Miller, this series is something of a homecoming, according to an article written by AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.
As a native of the area who grew up in nearby Bethel Park, Miller has a history when it comes to watching games at PNC Park. When he was ten-years old, according to Cassavell, he was sitting behind the home dugout when Pittsburgh starter Zach Duke flipped him a baseball after a Pirates win.
Fast forward to a few years later, and Miller was sitting in the bleachers in right-center with some buddies, and once again he became a ball magnet as Andrew McCutchen threw a ball into stands and Miller leapt and made the catch.
The ultimate version of this sort of thing happened when Miller was a junior at Waynesburg University and he went to a Pirates game with a girl named Jordan he’d just started dating. They sat together up the third baseline, and Miller doesn’t remember the specifics other than the fact that his date was going well. Which is understandable, because Jordan is now his wife.
“There are just a lot of memories,” Miller said. “I’ve sat everywhere in that stadium. It’s such a gorgeous park.”
Miller also told Cassavell he’s had to limit ticket requests from family and friends for this week’s game, although it’s hard to understand why given the conditions. Those who make it to the game may get their own personal vendors due to the cold that's producing some sparse crowds, and they’re hoping Miller gets a chance to do his thing as the Padres new closer.
Miller is a star now, but this is his first chance to return to PNC. He was with the Athletics for his first 2-1/2 seasons, but the schedule never aligned to produce a homecoming. The A’s were scheduled to visit Pittsburgh last September, but Miller landed in San Diego after the Padres dealt for him at the deadline.
“Just getting a chance to pitch in front of people that have never seen me pitch in the big leagues, it’ll be really special for them,” said Miller, who has pitched once before at PNC when he was in high school. “And I’m looking forward to sharing that with them.”
What they’ll see is a dominant hurler who’s still adding to his pitching repertoire. Mason is throwing his slider and changeup more frequently, and he’s becoming increasingly unhittable.
Last night looked like it might be the night for his big appearance as the game was tight early, but the Padres kept scoring and the back end of the bullpen wound up finishing the 5-0 shutout. The odds are still good he'll get in one of these games, though, and Miller will doubtless get an impressive ovation, especially given the paucity of Pirates fans in the stands right now.